10 Chemicals You Can Use to Turn Fire Green

10 Chemicals You Can Use to Turn Fire Green Green is possibly the coolest color to turn flames. Its not a color you get from the fuel, so you have to add a chemical to get the effect. The color comes from the ion emission spectra, so you can use any of the chemicals that produce green in the analytical method known as the flame test. The most readily available compounds  are: boric acid (boron compounds), sold as a disinfectant and roach killerborax (boron compounds), sold as a laundry booster and home cleanercopper sulfate (copper(II) compounds), sold as a root killer and algicide However, other chemicals will make green flames: thallium compoundsantimony compoundsbarium compoundsmanganese (II) compoundsmolybdenum compoundsammonium compoundsphosphates moistened with sulfuric acid How to Get Green Fire If you add any of these chemicals to a fire, youll get green flames. The trouble is, there might be other chemicals in your fuel that can overpower the green, making it impossible to see. You can add copper compounds to wood fire and get a range of colors, including green. Most of the other colorants wont work with a campfire or fireplace fire because sodium in the fuel emits a bright yellow light that overpowers the green color. The best way to get green fire is to heat the chemicals in a blue gas flame or to add them to an alcohol-based fuel. In addition to gel fuels, you can use methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol. Safety Information None of these chemicals is edible and a few are toxic, so dont roast marshmallows, hot dogs, or other food over a green fire. Having said that, the boron and copper compounds are relatively safe in that they arent consumed by the fire, so they dont really add to the toxicity of any smoke, plus they are household chemicals that  can be washed down the drain. If you are using colorants on a camping trip or outdoors, be aware of the effects of the chemicals on the environment. High levels of boron compounds can be toxic to some plants. High levels of copper compounds can be harmful to invertebrates. These are properties that help make these chemicals useful in the home, but not so great for wild habitats. Use care with methanol (wood alcohol) and isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), since these fuels are absorbed through the skin and are toxic.